You will be reimbursed the cost of your treatment abroad or the cost the treatment would have cost in Ireland, whichever is the lesser.

How to qualify for the Cross Border Directive

CBD treatment is only available to Irish residents who qualify for public health care. You can’t get CBD treatment if you’re a private patient in Ireland.

But you can get CBD treatment if you have private health insurance so long as you haven’t used it for your referral for healthcare abroad.

You must travel abroad. You can not use telemedicine, for example an outpatient consultation abroad by Skype or video, at any time during the CBD process.

Only a GP or a consultant you are attending in a public capacity can refer you for CBD treatment.

Types of treatment

You can get healthcare in the EU or EEA if that healthcare is also available publicly in Ireland. Your GP or consultant can tell you if the treatment you want to get abroad is publicly available in Ireland.